Tamaraws, Warriors resume chase for Final 4’s No. 2 spot

With La Salle virtually out of the race for the No. 2 spot, Far Eastern U and University of the East try to zero in on that twice-to-beat berth in the Final Four as they take on separate rivals today in the 66th UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

At second spot behind defending champion Ateneo (10-3), the Tamaraws face the Adamson Falcons at 1:30 p.m. while the Red Warriors, at third place with an 8-3 slate, tackle the Santo Tomas Tigers at 4 p.m.

FEU mentor Coy Banal admits his team remains far from reaching peak form although he is happy with how his players have been responding to the challenge.

"I’m still positive despite our past few games," said Banal. "We need this kind of games to prepare us for the Final Four."

The Falcons (5-7) and the Tigers (4-7) still have a slim chance to force a tie for the last semis slot with the Archers stalled at fourth with a 7-5 (win-loss) card with two games left in the double-round elims.

"We know there is still a ray of hope for us so we might as well give it our best shot and hope for the best," said Adamson coach Luigi Trillo.

After the Tams, the Falcons will be battling the Warriors on Sunday.

The Tigers, on the other hand, clash with the Tams on Sunday and the University of the Philippines Maroons next week.

The Archers ran away with an 82-74 victory over the Falcons last Monday that snapped a back-to-back losing skid but they will have Ateneo and UE as their final opponents.

Focus, however, will be on FEU and UE, which are expected to go flat out for the victories that wound enhance their bid for the semis incentives reserved for the top two teams after the elimination round.